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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The château de Mérglise, located in the department of Eure-et-Loir 29 km southwest of Chartres, was built around 1730 for the family of Ligneris, as evidenced by an engraved brick of that date. It replaces an earlier castle with no trace left. Its architecture includes two brick chestnuts, probably built between 1804 and 1822, inspired by a pre-existing model. These defensive elements, although after the main construction, reinforce the historic character of the site, organised around a masonry platform surrounded by moat and hydraulic network powered by the Thironne.

The estate has been listed as a historical monument since 2001 for its facades, roofs and chestnuts and has undergone several transformations in the 19th century. Sold in 1907 by the descendants of the family of Ligneris, the property was batched, modifying the original access and separating the lower yard from the house body. The Napoleonic plans of 1804 and 1822 reveal a symmetrical organization, with pleasant gardens, a disused mill around 1850, and terraces now partially disappeared. The chestnuts, although visually similar, could date from distinct epochs, as suggested by their absence from the 1804 plan.

The village of Merchère is mentioned in In search of the lost time of Marcel Proust under the name of Meschère, although the castle itself is never described. This literary link, combined with preserved architecture, gives the site a dual heritage and cultural dimension. The vestiges of the hydraulic system, moats and chestnuts bear witness to ancient engineering, while subsequent modifications (closures, alleyways) reflect the successive adaptations of the estate to modern residential uses.

Today, the castle and its outbuildings, although divided between several owners, retain a structure similar to that of the 19th century. The proposed restoration could shed light on the peculiarities of the chestnuts, whose interiors have been thoroughly redesigned. The inscription to the historical monuments protects the most emblematic elements, such as the brick facades and the dardian roofs, guaranteeing the sustainability of this architectural testimony of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

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